January 13 is a professional holiday for all the contributors of the printed matter in Russian Federation. This is Russian Press Day.

January 13 is not just Russian Press Day. On January 13, 1973, the first Russian newspaper Vedomosti (literal translation “The Record”) was issued. Peter the Great considered newspaper as a very important means for reformation and confirmation the power of the Russian Empire.

Subscription for Russian and foreign printed matter was introduced on January 1, 1870 as an experiment. Till 1914 quantity of Russian periodicals was over 3,000.

The Press Day was actually introduced in Soviet Union, but it was observed on May 5, the day when the first issue of Pravda was published in 1912. Pravda was a primary daily printed matter of the Communist Party that made it a major newspaper in Soviet Union.

The Soviet Press Day was replaced in 1991 by Russian Press Day. From 1997 Russian Press Day is also the day of the Presidential Award in the field of media and grants to support young journalists projects.